Question 1

Contemporary literature: Who authored the Booker-winning novel 'The Famished Road'? Identify the writer of 'The Famished Road', a celebrated work of magical realism. Choose the correct author.

Accepted Answer

Given data Novel: The Famished Road. Region: Modern African literature. Concept/Approach Identify the author associated with this magical-realist Booker Prize winner. Reasoning Ben Okri, a Nigerian novelist, wrote The Famished Road, which won the Booker Prize in 1991. Verification Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart; Soyinka (Nobel laureate) is noted for drama and essays; Ngũgĩ is known for A Grain of Wheat; Teju Cole wrote Open City. Final Answer Ben Okri

Question 2

Controversial literature: The author of the book 'Lajja' is a citizen of which country? Identify the nationality of the writer of the controversial novel 'Lajja'. Choose the correct country.

Accepted Answer

Given data Book: Lajja. Task: Identify the country of the author's citizenship. Concept/Approach Associate the novel with its author and her nationality at the time of publication. Reasoning Lajja was written by Taslima Nasrin, who is Bangladeshi by origin and citizenship when the book appeared; the work sparked major controversy in Bangladesh. Common pitfalls Confusing the author's later residence abroad with her nationality at the time of the book's prominence. Final Answer Bangladesh

Question 3

Indian military writing: Who authored the book 'Betrayal of the Defence Forces: The Inside Truth'? Identify the writer of the exposé-style book on defence matters titled 'Betrayal of the Defence Forces'. Choose the correct author.

Accepted Answer

Given data Title: Betrayal of the Defence Forces: The Inside Truth. Domain: Indian defence/military writing. Concept/Approach Match the well-known defence title to its author. Reasoning The author is Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, former Chief of Naval Staff of India, who wrote this work discussing defence policy and institutional issues. Verification Other options are prominent defence authors/commanders but are associated with different books (e.g., Brig. Dalvi's Himalayan Blunder). Final Answer Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat

Question 4

Political philosophy: Who said 'Man is a political animal'? Identify the classical thinker credited with the statement 'Man is a political animal' about human social nature. Choose the correct philosopher.

Accepted Answer

Given data Quotation: 'Man is a political animal'. Concept/Approach Attribute a famous classical statement to its correct philosopher. Reasoning Aristotle, in Politics, describes humans as 'zoon politikon' (political/social animals), emphasizing that humans achieve their telos within a polis. Common pitfalls Confusing Aristotle with Plato or later political theorists. Final Answer Aristotle

Question 5

Political theory: Who said 'The general happiness is the end of the state'? Identify the philosopher associated with the utilitarian view that a state's end is the general happiness. Choose the correct thinker.

Accepted Answer

Given data Quotation: 'The general happiness is the end of the state'. Concept/Approach Utilitarianism holds that the right policy maximizes happiness; link the quotation to the founder of classical utilitarianism. Reasoning The statement reflects Jeremy Bentham's principle: governance should aim at the greatest happiness (general happiness) of the community. Verification T. H. Green emphasized common good within idealism; Plato and Hegel framed different teleologies of the state; J. S. Mill refined utilitarianism but the classic maxim is Benthamite. Final Answer Jeremy Bentham

Question 6

Books & Authors: Identify the author of ‘‘A Farewell to Arms’’.  Which writer authored the celebrated war novel ‘‘A Farewell to Arms’’ about an American ambulance driver in World War I?  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Books and Authors — 20th-century literature. Given: Identify the author of the novel ‘‘A Farewell to Arms’’. Target: Choose the correct author from the options. Concept/Approach Recall standard literary attributions: ‘‘A Farewell to Arms’’ is a World War I novel by the American writer Ernest Hemingway. Verification Published in 1929, the novel draws on Hemingway’s own service as an ambulance driver on the Italian front and is one of his best-known works. Common pitfalls Confusing Hemingway with contemporaries like F. Scott Fitzgerald (‘‘The Great Gatsby’’) or John Steinbeck (‘‘The Grapes of Wrath’’). Final Answer Author: Ernest Hemingway.

Question 7

Indian cinema: Unique distinction of the film ‘‘Adi Shankaracharya’’ (1983).  What is the special/unique feature for which the film ‘‘Adi Shankaracharya’’ is noted? Directed by G. V. Iyer.  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Indian film milestones. Given: Identify what is unique about ‘‘Adi Shankaracharya’’. Target: Select the correct unique distinction. Concept/Approach ‘‘Adi Shankaracharya’’ (1983), directed by G. V. Iyer, is widely recognized as the first full-length Indian feature film produced in the Sanskrit language. Verification Beyond its language distinction, the film also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, but its hallmark uniqueness is being the first Sanskrit feature. Common pitfalls Do not confuse with other ‘‘firsts’’ such as India's first color film or first 70 mm film; those belong to different titles and years. Final Answer Unique distinction: First Indian feature film made entirely in Sanskrit.

Question 8

Books & Memoirs: Author of ‘‘India Wins Freedom’’.  Who wrote the well-known work ‘‘India Wins Freedom’’, a first-person account of the freedom struggle?  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Books and Authors — Indian freedom movement. Given: Identify the author of ‘‘India Wins Freedom’’. Note: Humayun Kabir served as editor of the text; he is not the author. Concept/Approach Use domain knowledge of major memoirs of India's independence: ‘‘India Wins Freedom’’ is by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Verification First published in 1959 with portions released later, the book presents Azad's perspective as a senior leader and India's first Education Minister. Common pitfalls Mixing up the editor (Humayun Kabir) with the author.

Question 9

Books & Authors: Identify the author of ‘‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’’ (‘‘1984’’).  Who wrote the dystopian classic ‘‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’’, featuring Big Brother, Newspeak, and the Thought Police?  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Dystopian literature. Given: Identify the author of ‘‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’’. Concept/Approach The 1949 dystopian novel ‘‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’’ was authored by George Orwell. Verification Huxley wrote ‘‘Brave New World’’, Bradbury wrote ‘‘Fahrenheit 451’’, and Koestler wrote ‘‘Darkness at Noon’’ — all commonly confused with Orwell. Final Answer Author: George Orwell.

Question 10

Books & Authors (India): ‘‘India of Our Dreams’’ — identify its author.  ‘‘India of Our Dreams’’ is a book that discusses India's future and public life. Who wrote it?  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Books and Authors — India and public affairs. Given: Identify the author of ‘‘India of Our Dreams’’. Concept/Approach ‘‘India of Our Dreams: The Fourth Estate Speaks’’ (1982) is by the journalist M. V. Kamath. Verification Be careful not to confuse with Gandhi's compilation ‘‘India of My Dreams’’, which is a different title and author. Common pitfalls Selecting Gandhi due to the similar-sounding title; or attributing it to prominent statesmen like Rajendra Prasad or S. Radhakrishnan.

Question 11

Autobiography: ‘‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’’ — identify the author.  Who wrote the autobiography widely known as ‘‘My Experiments with Truth’’?  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Autobiographies. Given: Identify the author of ‘‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’’. Concept/Approach The famed autobiography is by Mahatma Gandhi; originally serialized in Gujarati and later translated into English. Verification The work covers Gandhi's early life, South Africa years, and formative political ideas. Common pitfalls Attributing autobiographies of other leaders (e.g., Bose's ‘‘The Indian Struggle’’) to Gandhi by mistake.

Question 12

Books on India: ‘‘Eight Lives’’ — identify the author.  ‘‘Eight Lives: A Study of the Hindu-Muslim Encounter’’ is an influential non-fiction work on India. Who is its author?  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Non-fiction about modern India. Given: Identify the author of ‘‘Eight Lives: A Study of the Hindu-Muslim Encounter’’. Concept/Approach The book was written by historian and biographer Rajmohan Gandhi, exploring eight Muslim figures and their interactions with India in the 20th century. Verification Rajmohan Gandhi is also known for biographies of Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari. Common pitfalls Confusing the title with William Dalrymple's ‘‘Nine Lives’’ or other similarly named works.

Question 13

Books & Authors: Identify the book written by Lala Lajpat Rai.  Lala Lajpat Rai (‘‘Punjab Kesari’’) is the author of which of the following books listed below?  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Books and Authors — Indian national movement. Given: Select the work authored by Lala Lajpat Rai. Concept/Approach ‘‘Unhappy India’’ (1928) is Lala Lajpat Rai's well-known critique responding to Katherine Mayo's ‘‘Mother India’’ and discussing colonial misrepresentations and Indian society. Verification Other options are by different authors: ‘‘India Divided’’ (Rajendra Prasad), ‘‘The First and Last Freedom’’ (J. Krishnamurti), ‘‘Why I Am an Atheist’’ (Bhagat Singh), ‘‘The Discovery of India’’ (Jawaharlal Nehru). Common pitfalls Confusing Lajpat Rai's titles with popular works by other national leaders.

Question 14

Indian films: Director of the biopic ‘‘Sardar’’ (1993).  Who directed the feature film ‘‘Sardar’’, based on the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel?  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Indian cinema — directors. Given: Identify the director of ‘‘Sardar’’ (1993). Concept/Approach The biographical film starring Paresh Rawal as Sardar Patel was directed by Ketan Mehta. Verification The screenplay was by noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar; music by Vanraj Bhatia. Common pitfalls Mixing up other acclaimed directors of political biopics like Shyam Benegal or Govind Nihalani.

Question 15

Books & Public Policy: ‘‘A Secular Agenda’’ — identify the author.  Who wrote the policy-oriented book ‘‘A Secular Agenda’’, discussing secularism and Indian politics?  Choose the correct option.

Accepted Answer

Topic: Books and Authors — Indian politics and policy. Given: Identify the author of ‘‘A Secular Agenda’’. Concept/Approach Arun Shourie, journalist and former Union Minister, authored ‘‘A Secular Agenda’’ analyzing secularism, minority politics, and public policy in India. Verification Shourie has written multiple books on governance and public debate; other options are notable political writers but not the authors of this title.

Question 16

General knowledge: Identify the original title of the ancient Indian epic now known as the ‘‘Mahabharata’’. From traditional accounts, the work began with a shorter core text that was later expanded into the present epic. Choose the correct original…

Accepted Answer

Topic: Ancient Indian literature — origins of the Mahabharata's title Given data The question asks for the original name by which the Mahabharata was first known. Concept/Approach The received tradition describes a three-stage expansion of the epic: a short core text titled Jaya, expanded to Bharata (about 24,000 verses), and later greatly expanded to become the Mahabharata (about 100,000 verses). Therefore, the earliest/original name is Jaya. Step-by-step reasoning Earliest core composition → called Jaya. First expansion → called Bharata (24,000 verses). Final expansion → called Mahabharata (≈100,000 verses). Common pitfalls Choosing Bharata — that is believed to be a later, intermediate expansion. Picking descriptive terms like ‘‘Itihasa’’ or ‘‘Mahakavya’’—these are genres, not the specific original title. Final Answer Jaya

Question 17

Who is the author of the book 'Freedom Behind Bars '

Accepted Answer

Kiran Bedi

Question 18

Who is the author of the book New India?

Accepted Answer

Annie Besant is the author of New India

Question 19

Which of the following is not written by Munshi Premchand

Accepted Answer

Guide

Question 20

The book 'India of our Dreams' was written by ___ ?

Accepted Answer

M.V. Kamath

Books and Authors Questions